The Foundation
When the homeowners moved from Minneapolis to Orono, they were drawn to the property for what cannot be manufactured: privacy, mature trees, wetland views, and dock access to Lake Minnetonka. The house offered generous spaces and a distinctive layout, but its original construction had been completed carelessly. A trusted relationship with Julian Design led to a series of thoughtful interventions over the course of several years — each one bringing the home closer to the way the family wanted to live within it.
Architectural Language
The architectural intent was never to overpower the home’s traditional character, but to give it greater clarity. The work centered on continuity, flow, and a more resolved relationship between the house and its setting. Sightlines were opened, focal points reconsidered, and windows and doors introduced where they could better show off the gardens and wetland beyond. It’s often about framing a visual to draw the eye and attention, to a window or into the next room. Julian interiors invite openness without disturbing the integrity of the original architecture.
Craft & Composition
Throughout, you’ll find subtle Art Nouveau references— from the kitchen mosaic to the botanical wallpaper and mural wallcovering in the primary bedroom—that bring character and softness.
This home is defined by the intelligence of its restraint. A small request to relocate the microwave led to a more elegant reordering of the home. A reimagined pantry went hand-in-hand with a new wine cellar beneath the stairwell. Efficiency and elegance.
In the kitchen, the finishes made all the difference. Walnut hardwood was introduced to create greater continuity with the surrounding rooms, while countertops, backsplash tile, and a custom mosaic feature behind the stove, a hand-painted finish on the island, topped with Pearl Venata quartzite, all supported a confident sense of visual depth and variation.
The Experience
This is a home that now feels fully aligned with the people who live there. It supports entertaining with ease, accommodates family life without compromise, and offers spaces for work, retreat, and play. A spare bedroom became a multidimensional escape room — part office, part hobby room, part refuge. A former dinette area was transformed into a more intimate sitting space oriented toward light and view. Fabrics were chosen for their ability to withstand everyday life while still feeling elevated, and furnishings were selected to invite both beauty and use. Nothing feels overly precious. Everything feels considered.
“It was a great lesson in reimagining the space and getting creative with the existing elements.”
Someone
Results
Now, this is a home that feels more expansive without having grown, more luxurious without becoming showy, and more personal without sacrificing cohesion. By choosing refinement over replacement and imagination over excess, the project reveals a quieter kind of luxury — one defined by ease, intelligence, and the confidence of a home that feels exactly as it should. Designed to feel just as right in ten or twenty years as it does today.
The Harmony of Rooms
Each space is individually composed, yet inherently connected. Each room contributes to a larger, unified narrative—interpreted through function, light, and scale.
- Powder room refresh
- Primary bedroom
- Bedroom
- Kitchen
- Living spaces
- Entertainment room/bar
